1/2 Anna, Issued by East India Company, India, 1835 (frozen date)
Series: East India Company Uniform Coinage
Minted by Bombay Mint
East India Company arms, a shield quartered with eschutcheon of France and England in the first quarter; crest of a lion rampant guardant holding between his forepaws the imperial crown proper; with supporters two lions rampant guardant each supporting a banner charged with a cross; below on a ribbon the motto, 'AUSP: REG: & SEN: ANG:' (translation: under the auspices of the king and senate of England); above ribbon, '1835'.
Within an open laurel wreath, 'HALF / ANNA'; around above, 'EAST INDIA COMPANY'; between tips of wreath a Persian legend (do pai; translation: two Pice).
Coins bearing the date 1835 were first struck at the Bombay Mint in 1844.
Legislation related to this issue:
A.D. 1835. Act XXI
PASSED by the Honourable the Governor-General of India in Council, on the 7th December, 1835.
I. Be it enacted, that from the 20th day of December, 1835 the following copper coins only shall be issued from any mint within the presidency of Bengal:-
1. A pice weighing _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 100 grains troy
2. A double pice _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 200 grains troy
3. A pie, or one-twelfth of an anna piece - 33 1/3 grains troy
with such devices as shall be fixed for the same by the Governor-General in Council, acccording to tthe provisions of Section X. of the Act XVII. of 1835.
II. And be it enacted, that from the said 20th day of December, 1835 the said pice shall be legal tender for 1/64 of the Company's rupee, and the said double pice for 1/32 of the Company's rupee, and the said pie fo0r 1/192 of the Company's rupee.
III. Provided always, that after the said 20th day of December, 1835 no copper coin shall in any way part of the territories of the East-India Company be legal tender, except for fractions of a rupee
NOTE: This Act was extended to include the issues from all Presidencies of the East-India Company by ACT XXII of 1844 where paragraph I ends: "the following copper coins only shall be issued from any mint within the territories of the East-India Company" instead of "within the Presidency of Bengal"
Donation from Eric Wodak
Type of item
12.93 g (Weight)
Pridmore 131 KM#447.1 Clarke, Richard, The Regulations of the Government of Bombay in Force at the end of 1850, London, 1851, p.415
[Book] Pridmore, Fred. 1980. The Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations, Part 4, India. 2.
[Book] Bruce, Colin R. 2006. Standard Catalogue of World Coins 1801 - 1900.